Believing without seeing (Jo D)

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Transcript

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Welcome to SGTM Talks. We hope you find this encouraging and inspiring.

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So our scripture today is taken from the book of John, chapter 20, verses 19 to 31, when Jesus appears to his disciples. On the day of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together with the doors locked for fear of the Jewish leaders, Jesus came and stood amongst them and said, Peace be with you. And after this he showed them his hands and his sides. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord. And again Jesus said to them, Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, I am sending you. And with that he breathed on them and said, Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive anyone's sins, their sins are forgiven. If you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven. So the other disciples told him, We have seen the Lord. But he said to them, Unless I see the nail marks in his hands, and put my fingers where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe. A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, Peace be with you. Then he said to Thomas, Put your finger here, see my hands, reach out your hand and put it in my side. Stop doubting and believe. Thomas said to him, My Lord and my God. Then Jesus told him, Because you have seen me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not yet seen and yet have believed. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name. Quite a lot going on in that passage. And for us, it's been one week since Easter Sunday. One week since the women went to the tomb and found the stone rolled away. One week since they heard from the angel, he is not here, he is risen. And one week since we proclaimed for the first time this year, Alleluia, Christ is risen, and responded, the Lord is risen indeed, hallelujah. And yet, if we're honest, what has changed? Take a moment, look around, look at your life, and look at the world. Before Easter there was pain, loss, fear, and uncertainty. And after Easter, those things are still here. So I asked myself, what difference is Easter actually making? What were the choruses of triumphant worships, the celebrations, the Easter eggs and the hot crossbuns really all about? Because if we are honest, Easter Monday can feel very much like Good Friday with better lighting. The same routines, the same struggles, the same fears striking us when we wake up. So maybe we're asking the wrong questions. Maybe a better question is this. What is it that's overshadowing our lives today? What's overshadowing the resurrection? What have we allowed to become bigger than the extraordinary truth that Christ has defeated sin and death? Because Easter is not simply the claim that Jesus came back to life. Easter is the declaration that sin no longer has that final word. Death no longer has ultimate authority, and fear no longer gets to rule our lives. And yet, for many of us, we're still living our lives as if it does. In today's gospel, even, the disciples are not celebrating. They're not even proclaiming resurrection. They are not even living boldly. They are hiding. Jesus tells us something very specific. The doors were locked for fear of the Jewish leaders. They were not just inside in the house, they were shut in. Not just together, they are trapped together. Not just afraid, but at that time organizing their whole lives and existence around that fear. Fear has become their environment, the core of their world. And notice this: their fear is not irrational. They have seen Jesus arrested, tortured, executed. They know what happens to those who are associated with him. Their fear makes total sense. And yet, even though it's understandable, it's still imprisoning them. The tomb is empty, but their house is full. The stone has been rolled away, but the doors are still locked. Mary Magdalene has told them, I have seen the Lord, but still they lock themselves away, and a week later nothing has changed. Same house, same doors, same fears. We talk about doubting Thomas, but the truth is he wasn't the only one who doubted. They all did. They weren't living their lives like they didn't doubt. The tomb is open, but their lives are closed. Jesus is free, but the disciples aren't. And that's the true tension of Easter. The victory has been won, but it's not yet been lived. The resurrection is real, but it has not yet been received. So that's what the real question for us is. What is locking the doors in our lives? Is it fear, addiction, grief, guilt, shame, or regret? And not just what's locking us in, but what's keeping us from speaking? Because God, in his grace, right at the beginning, invites us to join in his work. As it says in John 20, verse 21, peace be with you, as the Father has sent me, I am sending you. And yet at the end of our passage, they are still in that room when Thomas then sees Jesus. So they haven't gone very far. He calls us to share our story, even when it feels small, unfinished, or uncomfortable, even when it includes the things that we would rather keep hidden or locked away. And he asks us to trust the Holy Spirit to make him present in all that we offer. Our testimony may feel f completely feeble, our faith may be fragile, but the Spirit will take what we are willing to offer and make Christ known through it. So what is keeping you silent? What locks the door to us sharing? Doubt, fear, shame, or guilt? I've been thinking about this week. I have a dear friend whose very senior job requires her to fly regularly to the United States. The problem is she is terrified of flying, and I don't mean a little bit, I mean absolutely sweat pouring down her face, panic attack, unable to breathe, afraid. She's tried everything therapy, courses, medication. She knows all the facts, all the theory, and she even understands and can explain the science behind why you stay up in the air. She's been allowed to sit in cockpits, she's been hidden in the crew quarters in areas on planes, but still has a panic attack if we mention flying. The fear is real. And the tragedy is this. She doesn't just have to fly. She wants to see the world. She wants to travel and to explore. She wants to say yes to all those opportunities that life is bringing her. But the fear keeps getting in her way. It's not just limiting her career, it's limiting her fun. It's shrinking her world. And I realized fear isn't keeping her from flying. Fear is keeping her from the life that she really wants. Because that's what fear does to us. It doesn't just frighten us, it forms us. It shapes our decisions, it narrows our imagination. And slowly and quietly it locks doors and it traps us. And maybe this is where it begins for us. Many of the locks of our lives are hidden. We've lived with them so long we don't even see them anymore. We are terrified to bring them into the open, to be honest, because it means exposing our guilt or our shame. And I was reminded of that this week. I have a set of friends, they're very, very close friends of mine, who always seem to have the perfect life. But last Saturday at 4.30 in the morning, I received a text, followed by a call. He has had an affair, and everything fell apart, not just for them, but for many of us who consider us to be their friends as well. He is now isolated, ashamed, homeless and struggling with suicidal thoughts. She is heartbroken, devastated, facing a future she never imagined, contemplating divorce. Their children feel betrayed. They have lost their hero. There is pain on every side, and no one can see hope or any way to escape from those locks that have snapped shut of shame and anger and guilt. I have spent hours listening to each of them. Pretty much I hear the same things on all sides that we all say in our fear, our shame, and our guilt. Please don't tell them. I don't want anyone to know. I'm so ashamed. I cannot forgive. Everything is destroyed. So much pain, so many locks. And underneath it all, the phrase is repeated again. If they really knew the truth, they would never be able to forgive me. So the doors stay shut and the padlocks get more secure. But here is what is becoming clear. Only when that truth is faced, honestly, will anything be able to change. Can any hope or life begin to grow again? And this is deeply biblical. It says in the Bible, if we walk in the light, we have fellowship. And the blood of Jesus purifies us from all sin. It doesn't say clean yourself up, then come into the light, but step into the light and then cleansing happens. You see, confession is not about humiliation, it's about liberation. It's the moment that we stop protecting the prison, and maybe that's true for us too. Whatever that prison is, we are not only trapped by what has happened in our past, but by what we are unwilling to name. And sometimes the hardest truth is this. At our core, what we deny is the fact that we are actually holding the keys ourselves. But here is the good news. Before any door is opened, before any confession is made, before we even admit that we are afraid, Jesus comes. He stands amongst them, and he stands here now amongst us. And he says, peace be with you. Not condemnation, not rejection, not disappointment, but peace. Peace with your fear, peace with your shame, peace with your guilt, and peace even with your doubt. And then something even more extraordinary happens. He shows them his wounds. Because those wounds are the proof that he was crucified, that he was dead, that he is now resurrected. Guilt says you must pay. The cross shows us that guilt has been paid, that price has been paid. Guilt says you are condemned. The resurrection says, no, you are forgiven. And then he breathes on them. This is new creation. The very life of God, the same power that has raised Jesus from the dead, is now given to them and it's given to us. So when we stand before the locked doors, we are not standing there alone. The resurrection is not just something that Jesus did for us, it's now something he does in us. Because in his resurrection, Jesus has already broken the power of everything that keeps us locked in. Sin, shame, fear, even death itself. Those things can still feel very powerful. They still feel real. But they no longer have the final word. Which means the locks are real, but they're not final. I'm going to ask Simon now to show a picture. It's called it was a fresco which I saw in Istanbul. My holiday was actually over. We were on our way to the airport and we saw this place. I don't actually like touring churches. It's a bit odd for a vicar, but they're not my favourite places. But we went into this one on the way. Very few people go to it because it's off the tourist trail and the road is very narrow. It's called Anastasis in Greek or the harrowing of hell, and it's found in the Korah Church in Istanbul. Jesus presents himself to all those who have died before him, and he's pulling Adam and Eve from their graves, demonstrating that Jesus pursued in love all those who died before him, because he is victorious over sin and death on our behalf. But the thing that I love is the thing that you might miss. Can you see at the bottom what Jesus is standing on? He's sort of standing on a floor, but if you look at it, that entire floor is made up of locks, keys, padlocks, and shackles. Jesus has not just released us from death, but has released them and us from everything that's still trying to hold us captive. So how do we begin to allow Jesus to remove our shackles and locks? Well, not all at once, not perfectly, but small step by small step. First, admitting that there's a lock. Be honest, what is it that youth believe has really trapped you? Second, bring it into the light. Dare to tell God the truth that He already knows. And maybe tell someone you trust. Make yourself accountable and smash that lock of shame and guilt once and for all. Be that to a wise friend or a member of the team offering prayer ministry or a member of the clergy. It's not so common here, but we do have still the tradition of confession and absolution. And that can be really, really helpful. Or if what is holding you captive is an addiction, then please consider joining us on the recovery course, where we will provide a safe place to start daring to unlock some of those padlocks of guilt and shame, allowing you to live the resurrection life that Christ has already achieved in you. And third, receive what Christ has already given. Forgiveness is not something that you will achieve, it's something you receive. It's a free gift. So if you know what that lock is, maybe take one small step today. It's going to be hard, but remember courage is not the absence of fear. It's movement despite that fear. And the Holy Spirit is with you in that movement, gently revealing truth, giving courage, steadying your hands as you dare to put them on the lock. Because that's how Jesus unlocks the doors. Not by breaking them down from the outside, but by transforming us on the inside. So that we can do what once felt impossible. To tell the truth, to face our fear, to step into the forgiveness and move into freedom. Because that's resurrection life. Not just Jesus alive again, but his life alive in us. Easter is not just something to believe in, it's something we step into. The question, as we said at the beginning, is not has he risen. The question is, because he has risen, what doors in your life that are still locked is placing, is hiding you from the resurrection? Which padlock will you dare to trust Jesus with? Because the tomb is empty. Christ is risen. And resurrection is not just something that happened now, it's something being offered here and now. We may not see perfectly, not completely, but honestly. And that is enough. My prayer for us today is that we may recognize the resurrection not only in empty tombs, but in lives restored, voices reclaimed, and dignity renewed. And may you refuse to settle for what diminishes your life and instead walk in the quiet courage of those who have seen the Lord. Amen.

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